Articles

Attachment representations of adolescents in institutional care

Authors

  • Roland Schleiffer University of Köln
  • Susanne Müller University of Köln

Keywords:

adolescents, residential care, attachment representation, cannot classify-category

Abstract

In this study, the attachment representations of adolescents living in residential care are explored. The adult attachment interview (AAI) was carried out with 72 young persons. At the same time the degree of adolescent psychopathology was recorded. For this purpose the caregivers were investigated with a parents' questionnaire on behaviour of children and adolescents (Child Behavior Checklist: CBCL) and the adolescents themselves with a questionnaire for young people (Youth Self Report: YSR). As expected, the young persons in this sample proved to be severely burdened in psychopathological terms. There was virtually no secure attachment representation with an extensive overrepresentation of the 'cannot classify' category. The implications of these findings for the practice of residential care inspired by attachment theory are discussed.

Author Biographies

Roland Schleiffer, University of Köln

Roland Schleiffer, Prof. Dr. med., Seminar for Psychology and Psychiatry in Heilpedagogy, University of Köln, Köln, Germany.

Susanne Müller, University of Köln

Seminar for Psychology and Psychiatry in Heilpedagogy, University of Köln, Köln, Germany.

Published

2004-03-01

Issue

Section

Articles